Drilling apparatus



DeC. 9, 1930.

1.. H'. WELLENSXEK ,784,404

DRILLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Shed 1 Filed Aug. 15 924 25 23 A A v 22 V 32 I 24 9,1930. L. H. WELLENSIEK r '1 84 4 4 DRILLING APPARATUS File Aug- 15, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheefc 2 D \IS avwew toz Dec. 9, 1930. L. H. WELLENSIE K 1,784,404

DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 9, 1930.

L. H. WELLENS IEK DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15 1924 5 Shaets-Sheet 4 Dec. 9, 1930. L. H. WELLENSIEK DRILLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 15 1924 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES LOUIS H. WELLEN'SIEK, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS DRILLING APPARATUS Application filed August 15, 1924. Serial No. 732,254.

This invention relates to drilling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for use in drilling through heaving shale or other shifting strata.

The invention contemplates the building up of a wall or screen of granular or porous material around the drill stem or depth casing whenever a stratum of heaving or shifting shale or other material is encountered during the drilling of a well so that if, for any reason, drilling has to be temporarily suspended, the heaving or shifting shale will not jam around the drill stem so tightly that drilling cannot be resumed.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to form a porous screen about the well casing during the drilling operation whereby the shifting shale is held back so as not to interfere with the drilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method whereby the shifting of such shale or other material, as it may be necessary to drill through, will not interfere with the operation of the drill stem.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for introducing granular material into the well to provide a porous screen around the drill stem or deptlrcasing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a special type of easing head so constructed and arranged that a section of pipe may be passed downwardly therethrough without any leakage of fluid around the pipe.

A still further object is to provide a porous or granular screen around the drill stem in.

the vicinity of such shale or other material as the stem may pass through during the drilling operation.

A still further object is to provide such a screen which, while eflectively holding back the shale or other material, will not check the flow of oil when a paying stratum is reached.

One of the features of the invention has particular reference to the method whereby a porous screen is constructed in the well around the depth casing to hold back the heaving shale while permitting the free fiow of oil without discontinuing the regular operation or rotation of the drill stem.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a derrick, somewhat conventional in form, and provided with the drilling apparatus constituting a part of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the drilling apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in elevation of a portion of the drilling apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4.4: of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views of one of the arcuate sections or members disassociated from the other sections with which they cooperate to form collectively a packing ring, Figures 5 and 7 being views in elevation and Figure 6 a plan view of thesame member or section.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the two point swivel taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8.

Having thus briefly set forth some of the objects and advantages of my invention I will now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features of the invention in the appended claims.

Considering the invention in detail and referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the invention comprises a derrick 10 of conventional design with a raised floor 11 upon which a rotary 12 is mounted, the rotary being operated by a pinion 18 mounted on the end of a pinion shaft 14 whichis operatedby means of belts or chains connected with a motor (not shown).

grip ring 16.

A casing 15 which constitutes both depth casing and drill stem is secured to the rotary '12 and is rotated therewith it being understood that one or more strings of surface casing 20 of different diameters may be used in addition to those shown. The casing 15 is secured to the rotary 12 by any suitable means such, for example, as a double deck This system relates more particularly to the reverse return method of drilling wherein mud laden fluid passes down the outside of the drill stem and returns to the surface through the drill stem. Accordingly, the casing 15 is provided at its upper end with a box or hopper 17. into which the fluid from the well is discharged, the fluid being removed from the hopper 17 to a slush-pit 18 through a flexible hose 19.

The casing or drill stem 15 is supported by a two-point support swivel structure which is supported by two rods 46, 46 attached to a. cable 47 by means of a bale 48, the rods 46, 46 being of a length somewhat greater than that of an ordinary pipe so as to enable the attachment of new joints. The swivel structure 45 (Fig. 8) is formed with a pair of bearing plates 49 and and suitable bearing members 51 are interposed between the bearing plates to provide for the easy rotation of the plate 50 on the plate 49. The casing 15 is held in contact with the swivel members by means of wedge slips 52.

Beneath the raised floor 11 of the derrick 10 and secured on the upper end of the surface casing 20 is a casing head 21 formed with a short connecting member 22 which connects to a pipe 23 which in turn leads to a source of fluid supply (not shown), the fluid being pumped from the source of supply to the casing head 21 by a pump 24, and

from the casing headit is forced down the bore of the well and about the drill stem or depth casing 15.

The casing head 21 is provided with a pair I of oppositely disposed outlet connections 25,

25 to each of which is secured an upwardly inclined valved tubular member or passageway 27 on the outer end of which is secured a hopper 28 having a cover 29 removably secured thereon by any suitable means as, for example, bolts 30 and nuts 31. A pair of branch pipes 32, 32 each of which is connected at one end to the supply pipe 23 and connected at their other endsto one of the hoppers 28 and each may be provided within the hopper with a nozzle 26 which projects into the tubular member or passageway 27. Thus, in addition to supplying fluid to the casing head 21, the pipe 23 also supplies fluid to the hoppers 28, 28 in such a mannerthe place of the nozzles 26, 26 mechanicalmeans may be-substituted for maintaining the passageways clear of any obstruction, and the nozzles are illustrated for the purpose of describing one way in which the desired result may be advantageously obtained.

The pipes 32, 32 may be of any size to furnish the desired quantity of fluid to the hoppers or they may be provided with means such as a valve for regulating the passage of fluid therethrough. The tubular members or passageways 27, 27 are each provided with a valve 33, 33 for controlling the discharge of the contents of the hoppers into the easing head 21.

The casing head 21 is also provided with a packing device for preventing the fluid therein from escaping therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The packing consists of one or more packing rings 34, 34 disposed within the casing head. Each packing ring 34 comprises a plurality of arcuate sections 34a (see Fig. 4) and each section is secured to a bolt 37 which is supported on-resilient means such as a coil spring 38. The several sections or members 34a are formed with grooves 39 and tongues 40 which cooperate with grooves and tongues formed in annular flanges 41, 41 in the wall of the casing head to form a groove and tongue or labyrinth joint. Groove and tongue joints are likewise provided between each'of the adjacent or contiguous members 34a. The grooves and tongues are preferably of tapered formation.

: The operation of the device is apparent. -When a collar 42 connecting adjoining sections of the drill stem or depth casing 15 is moved downward and comes in contact with one of the packing rings 34, the several members 3411 are pusheddownwardly and also rocked backward somewhat by reason of the tapered character of the groove and tongue oints. At the same time the members are spread apart from each other. The multiplicity of passages through which the fluul must pass reduces the extent o'l leakage through the packing members while the collar 42 is going through. At the upper end packing material 44, packing gland 45, and

suitable means such as bolts and nuts for maintaining the gland in position. It is, of course, necessary to remove the stufling box to permit the collar 42 to descend.

The drill stem is rotated in the usual manner until such time as it may become necessary to change the bit. In the event that such change must be made when the bit is cutting through a body of heaving or shifting shale there would under ordinary drilling methods, be danger of the shale settling so tightly around the drill stem while its rotation is stopped for the exchange of bits that rotation could only be resumed with difficulty. The present invention, however, contemplates the exchange of bits without stopping the rotating of the drill stem and also the building up of a granular or porous screen about the drill stem in the vicinity of the strata of heaving shale so that the shale cannot settle around or interfere with the continuous operation of the drill stem. Therefore, Whenever a stratum of heating or shifting shale is encountered the hoppers 28 are filled with a granular material (as indicated in Fig. 2) such for example, as gravel. To introduce the gravel into the casing head'21 the valves 33 are opened so that the discharge of water or mud laden fluid from the nozzles 26 will force the granular material into the casing head 21 from which it is forced down around the casing 15 by the pressure exerted by the mud. laden or other fluid being forced into the casing head from the pipe 22 by the pump 24. The two hoppers 28, 28 can be operated simultaneously or one can charge gravel into the casing head while the other is being refilled. The fluid is discharged from the nozzles 26, 26 with sufficient force to keep the tubular members or passageways 27, 27 free from obstructions.

As the gravel is forced downwardly in the well it builds up a porous screen about the casing 15 so that the heaving shale is kept from falling in around the casing or drill stem and preventing or rendering it diflicult to exchange bits. Inasmuch as the screen is composed of granular material it will sufflce to hold back the shifting or heaving shale without interfering with the free flow of oil or other liquid encountered.

Apparatus of preferred form and construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing one way in which this invention may be practiced, but the inventive thought upon which my invention is based is broader than its illustrative embodiment thereof and no limitations are therefore intended other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim is l. \Vell drilling apparatus comprising a casing-head for the surface casing, a chambered member or hopper connected to said casing-head and adapted to contain granular material, and a fluid nozzle within the hopper for discharging said granular material under pressure from said hopper into the Well around the outside of the depth casing.

2. In well drilling apparatus, a casing head having an internal annular flange provided with annular grooves and tongues on one face thereof, a plurality of arcuate members having grooves and tongues adapted to cooperate with the grooves and tongues of said annular flange to form a seal, and grooves and tongues on their contiguous sides cooperating with one another to form a seal, and means for adjustably securing said arcuate sections to said flange.

3. In drilling apparatus, a casing head having an internal annular flange having a portion thereof provided with grooves and tongues, a plurality of arcuate members having grooves and tongues adapted to cooperate with the grooves andtongues of said annular flange to form a seal, the contiguous sides of said members being provided with a plurality of grooves and tongues cooperating to form seals and means for resiliently securing said arcuate sections to said flange, the several arcuate sections collectively constituting a packing ring.

4. In drilling apparatus, a casinghead having an internal annular flange having a portion thereof provided with grooves and tongues, a plurality of arcuate members having grooves and tongues adapted to cooperate with the grooves and tongues of said annular flange and means for resiliently securing each of said arcuate members to said flange including a bolt secured to the arcuate member and extending through the flange and a spring surrounding the bolt, one end of which spring constitutes a seat for the enlarged end of the bolt whereby limited movement of the arcuate member is permitted.

5. In drilling apparatus, a casing head through which a tubular member is adapted to be passed said casing head having an internal annular flange with a portion thereof provided with grooves and tongues, a plurality of arcuate members having grooves and tongues adapted to cooperate with the grooves and tongues of said annular flange, the contiguous sides of said members being provided with a plurality of grooves and tongues cooperating to form seals, and a portion of each of said arcuate members being adapted to abut against the tubular member within the casing head, and means for resiliently securing said arcuate sections to said flange and against said tubular member.

6. The reverse return method of drilling a well through shifting or heaving strata which comprises continuously rotating a drill stem to thereby penetrate the strata, and preventing shifting or heaving formation from packing about the drill stem so as to interfere with its rotation by simultaneously forcing granular material downwardly around the outside of the drill stem during the rotation thereof to build up a porous screen between the drill stem and the well in the vicinityof 

